Vocabulary Sentences Using Sentence Frames

Teaching vocabulary sentences using sentence frames is one of the best ESL vocabulary exercises. It will help all students with improving vocabulary.

Teachers are looking for new vocabulary strategies to use with all of their students. It's not just our ESOL/ESL populations that need language help.

Sentence framing is just one of many ESL teaching strategies.

It is also one of the best vocabulary strategies for any student struggling with language in the academic content areas.


A sentence frame is a structure for writing or speaking. This "prop" is used with students who need the support for using words correctly.

ESL grammar worksheets are best designed using this method. These types of exercises also aid in making meaning, which is the ultimate purpose of reading and writing.

What Does a Sentence Frame Look Like?

This is an example of a simple sentence frame using familiar content. It is surprisingly complex though, and requires the use of multiple vocabulary strategies.

It needs to make sense with the words that are placed in the blanks. It also requires the use of correct grammar. Students will often fill in the blanks with "monkeys" and "trees." This lends itself to a lesson in correct usage of nouns and verbs in vocabulary sentences.

A sentence frame using academic vocabulary could look like this:

Again, this is a simple sentence but now it requires the use of subject specific vocabulary ("wagons" and "Oregon").

Vocabulary sentences using frames can be written for different language levels.

Speech Emergent stages will use simple sentences as illustrated above. Intermediate Fluency can move into comparative sentences, and Advanced Fluency should use complex comparative sentences (Covered ________ traveled on the ________ Trail, but ________ drove cattle on the _________ Trail [cowboys; Chisholm]).

Do not expect Preproduction and Early Preproduction learners to be able to use sentence frames, but it is an excellent method for how to teach vocabulary.

Sentence Framing Vocabulary Strategies

If you need a hand, there are some excellent resources on using Sentence Frames through Amazon.

If you are ready to try it yourself though, you should first plan backwards. Begin with the end goal in mind, using an analysis of your lesson and assessments.

Determine the critical vocabulary necessary for comprehension of Tier 2 or 3 vocabulary words, then develop the sentence frames you will use for structured practice.

Vocabulary sentences can be made to inference or understand cause and effect, but most ELLs need foundational work in understanding the differences and similarities between two things.

While writing the sentence frames, keep in mind the target language that you will be replacing with blanks. You will also need to create a word bank for students to draw from.

After you have developed your lesson, group students of similar levels. Showing them how to select appropriate academic vocabulary words, write them into the sentence frames and read them aloud.

As students show progress in their language usage, move them into more complex vocabulary sentences using sentence frames.

Return to Top: Vocabulary Sentences Using Sentence Frames